Music review – Darlings of Chelsea: Panic is Worse than the Emergency

Darlings of Chelsea
Panic is Worse than the Emergency
North Ruckus

The Darlings of Chelsea boldly state on their website that they aim to “save rock’n’roll,” and it’s not difficult to hear that they have achieved this with their new album Panic is Worse than the Emergency. It is easy to listen to, and several times I caught myself nodding along with the music. Darlings shamelessly use all the trappings of rock music to create something coherent and obviously inline with the rock’n’roll they are trying to save.

While this album is definitely a nice way to spend an hour, it felt like something I’ve listened to before. Darlings doesn’t break new ground; they settle for paying homage to the style of music that obviously inspired them to start their band in the first place. While it’s always nice to hear the full force of the guitar driving home the song to listeners, it is a fairly safe way to make music. This does not take away from the enjoyment of the music, but it relegates it to music that is comfortable to listen to for now, but not something that will leave any lasting imprint in the listeners’ minds.

Edward Dodd
Op-Ed Editor